Amendment 71 benefits special interests with financial backing while shutting out average Colorado citizens from the initiative process. It is predominately funded and promoted by the oil and gas industry.

Corporations and special interests hungry for more political control are trying to rig our democracy. If the amendment passes, it will become almost impossible for citizens to put ballot initiatives on many issues including education, healthcare, taxes, and protecting the environment. The oil and gas industry and other special interests, are funding Amendment 71, hoping to take people’s voices out of our democracy.

Amendment 71 would change how the ballot process has functioned for the last 100 years, requiring 2 percent approval in each of the 35 state Senate districts for an initiative to qualify for the ballot, and raise the minimum voter approval to 55 percent of votes cast. The Denver Post estimates it would take an estimated $1 million for an initiative to make it to the Colorado ballot. Amendment 71 would increase that amount significantly, creating a barrier for most Coloradans to sponsor the initiative process.

Voters have seen how special interests silence our voices in the political process. When that occurs, the initiative process is a means for the people to address those issues. It should be easier for citizens to have their voices heard, by disallowing the constitution off limits to all but the wealthiest special interests.

Amendment 71 was drafted by Vital for Colorado, a representative organization for the oil and gas industry with ties to the Koch Brothers, Americans for Prosperity, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, Noble Energy, and the Colorado Oil and Gas Association, all outside Colorado entities.